The forward had a last-minute change of heart and eventually turned out for the country of his birth

Former West Ham striker Andy Carroll won multiple England caps during his playing career, even representing his country at a major tournament. However, he was close to choosing Scotland over the Three Lions before a last-minute change of plans.

Carroll, who played more than 100 Premier League games for the Hammers, was part of the England squad at Euro 2012. He made his international debut in the autumn of 2010 but a couple of years earlier there was interest from Scotland.

Alex McLeish was the manager who attempted to convince the striker - then at Newcastle - to turn out for his team. Despite playing for England at Under-19 and Under-21 level, Carroll qualified for Scotland through his grandmother.

In his new autobiography 'Owning It', Carroll reflected on the conversations which took place when he was still a teenager. He claimed to have said yes to McLeish, only to then go back on his word.

"I don't know how they found out my dad's ma was Scottish. But when I was still a teenager, I was asked to play for Scotland during the qualifying for the 2008 European Championships, when Alex McLeish was manager," the player wrote.

"Being young and naive, I said yes, before actually giving it some proper thought. The idea of international football thrilled me, but I didn't feel Scottish in any way. I hadn't grown up dreaming of scoring in a World Cup final for Scotland.

"I had dreamt about doing it for England. And 100 caps for Scotland wouldn't have meant anything compared to one cap for England. So just as I was about to get on the train to take me up to Glasgow, I rang Alex and told him I wasn't coming after all."

Carroll had to wait a few more years for his England debut but said he was glad he waited. He won nine senior caps, scoring twice - including a memorable header against Sweden at the Euros.

None of those caps came when he was playing his club football at Upton Park or the London Stadium. Carroll was part of the international picture under Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson after impressive form at Newcastle earned him a £35million Liverpool move but injuries saw him drop down the pecking order at international level.

His final international cap came in October 2012, as a substitute in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino. However, he insisted waiting for England, rather than potentially winning more caps in Scotland colours, was "the right thing to do".